This oven-baked beef brisket recipe is perfect for the holiday table. Tender and juicy, it’s packed with veggies and flavor and super easy to make.
Back when we were still catering, our tender baked brisket recipe became a wonderful hit during the holiday season! I loved preparing them, as they could be made a couple of days in advance and reheated in our ovens before serving.
Storing them in the braising liquid ensured they stayed tender and succulent, and the herby gremolata sauce added vibrance, brightness and acidity- making each bite a delightful experience!
You will Love this Beef Brisket Recipe!
Cooking low and slow makes the brisket succulent as it slowly braises in its own juices, yielding a beautifully cooked piece of meat perfect for special occasions and holiday gatherings. The addition of herbs and spices further elevates the dish.
Ideal for meal prep, oven-baked brisket can be made in advance and reheated, ensuring a stress-free, delicious meal for family and friends.
What is Brisket?
Oven-baked beef brisket comes from the large cut of meat at the lower chest of a cow. It is considered a tougher cut of meat, so cooking low and slow is key to tenderizing it! This braised brisket recipe combines the rich hearty flavors of tender beef with a medley of veggies.
Beef Brisket Recipe Ingredients
- Beef brisket: Use a “brisket’ cut of beef. This tough cut requires low and slow cooking to become juicy and tender.
- Beef stock: While you can use any type of stock, beef stock has the richest flavor.
- Garlic cloves: Adds deliciously savory, aromatic flavor.
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, and celery ribs.
- Tomato paste: Mixed with the beef stock to help the brisket cook with rich, deep flavor.
- Spices: Dried rosemary (or thyme), dried oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne, fresh cracked black peppercorns, and bay leaves.
- Salt: You’ll need a teaspoon per pound of brisket.
- Gremolata: A herby green sauce to serve over the brisket made with flat-leaf parsley, garlic cloves, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and chili flakes.
How to Make Beef Brisket
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Prep the brisket. Trim the brisket so the fat is no thicker than a 1/4-inch. Place in a large roasting pan.
3. Make the dry rub. Mix together salt, garlic, rosemary, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne, and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub the brisket on all sides with the spice rub, getting into every nook and cranny.
4. Assemble. Tuck half of the onions under the brisket and place the rest around the sides or over top, along with the other veggies.
5. Whisk the stock and tomato paste. Mix together the beef stock and tomato paste and pour into the pan. The liquid should come 1/3-1/2 of the way up the brisket. Tuck the bay leaves into the stock.
6. Cover. Cover the brisket with parchment paper and wrap the pan tightly with foil, sealing all edges.
7. Roast. Roast the brisket for 3 hours, or roughly 35 minutes per pound of meat or until the internal temp reaches 195-205F at the thickest part of the brisket. Uncover and continue roasting until the top browns, about 30 more minutes.
8. Make the gremolata. While the brisket roasts, stir together parsley, garlic, zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust for lemon juice, adding more if desired. For a looser consistency, add more oil. For heat, add a pinch of chili flakes.
9. Serve. Remove the brisket from the oven and let it sit at room temperature in the braising liquid until it is cool enough to handle. Slice thinly on a cutting board, then place back in the braising liquid until ready to serve. Or slice the brisket and place it in an oven-proof serving dish, pouring the braising liquid around it, and keep it warm in the oven until ready to serve.
10. Add gremolata. Spoon some gremolata over the top and serve the brisket with extra on the side.
How Long to Cook Brisket in Oven
In general, the brisket will take about 3-4 hours to roast, but cook times will vary depending on the size of the brisket. A good rule to follow is to roast about 35 minutes per pound of meat. It also helps to use a meat thermometer. The brisket should have an internal temperature between 195-205F in the thickest part of the meat. The texture should be fork-tender.
Then you’ll need to brown the top of the brisket, cooking for an additional 30 or so minutes. You can speed this process up by broiling the brisket or using a convection setting.
How to Serve this Oven Brisket Recipe
Oven brisket is the perfect main dish for a holiday gathering. Serve it with any of our festive holiday recipes! Some of our favorite pairings include:
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese or Truffle Mac and Cheese
- Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
- Green Beans Almondine
- White Cheddar Apple Salad
- Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls
How to Store Oven Brisket
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze brisket for up to 3 months! However you store the brisket, it is best to store it in the braising liquid to keep the meat moist.
FAQs
You’ll need about 8 ounces of brisket per person.
It really doesn’t matter which cooking method you choose as long as you cook the brisket low and slow. The key to achieving the best juicy, tender consistency is to take your time with it. Brisket is a tough cut of meat that requires a long amount of time to cook, but the secret is to maintain a lower temp, like 350F.
Yes! The stock should cover at least 1/3-1/2 of the brisket.
Yes, but you don’t want it so tender that it falls apart when you slice it.
Lather in barbecue sauce and reheat in the oven, and make barbecue brisket sandwiches! Serve with corn on the cob, coleslaw, and potato salad.
Hope you enjoy this recipe and have a lovely holiday season!
More Hearty Holiday Mains!
Oven Brisket Recipe
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 240
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 10-12
- Category: main, holiday main dish
- Method: oven baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This oven-baked beef brisket recipe is perfect for the holiday table. Tender, juicy and full of flavor, it’s easy to make.
Ingredients
- 5–6 lb beef brisket
- 5–6 teaspoons salt (1 teaspoon per pound of brisket)
- 8 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or sub thyme)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 4–6 onions, cut into 1-inch wedges
- 4 large carrots, cut to 1/2 inch thich
- 4 celery ribs, cut 1/2 inch thick slices
- 3–4 cups beef stock
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
Gremolata Recipe
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (1 cup packed, tender stems OK)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- Zest one lemon, chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/8– 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, more to taste
- pinch chili flakes – optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Trim brisket so the fat is no thicker than a ¼ inch—then place in a big roasting pan.
- Make the Rub. In a small bowl, mix salt, garlic, rosemary, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne, and black pepper. Rub the brisket on all sides with the rub.
- Assemble: Place half of the onions under the brisket and the rest around the sides or over the top along with the veggies. Feel free to add more veggies if you have ample room (see notes).
- Whisk the beef stock with the tomato paste and pour this into the pan. The liquid should come at ⅓-½ way up the brisket. Tuck the bay leaves into the stock.
- Cover with parchment paper and wrap extra tightly with foil, sealing all the edges as best you can.
- Roast for 3 hours (or roughly 35 mins per pound of meat or until internal temp reaches 175F-195F at the thickest part). Uncover, then continue roasting until the top browns up a bit, 30 more minutes. You could broil or use a convection setting to speed this up.
- While it is roasting, make the Gremolata: Place chopped parsley, garlic, zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Give a stir. Taste. Add more lemon juice if you like. If you want a looser consistency, add a little more oil. Add a pinch of chili flakes for heat.
- Serving it: Once the brisket is done, let rest in the braising liquid until cool enough to handle. Slice thinly on a cutting board, then place it immediately back in the braising liquid until ready to serve. You can slice and place it in an oven-proof serving dish, pouring some of the braising liquid around it to prevent it from drying out, and keep it warm in the oven until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, spoon some of the gremolata over the top and serve the extra on the side.
Notes
Storage: Leftover brisket can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or can be frozen for 3 months. I always store it in braising liquid to keep it moist, but it’s up to you.
Repurpose leftovers: Lather in BBQ sauce and reheat in the oven, and make brisket sandwiches.
Variation: instead of tomato paste, add deep red wine or ruby port.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 ounces (without gremolata) Based on 6 lb brisket
- Calories: 342
- Sugar: 4.5 g
- Sodium: 1290.4 mg
- Fat: 14.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.3 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 41.3 g
- Cholesterol: 117.4 mg
Made it as written for family birthday dinner. It was amazing!
Great to hear Jo! Thanks for the review!
Hello – planning to make this for New Year’s Eve. Curious if you think that applying the rub and letting it sit for 4 to 24 hours in the fridge would deepen the flavors? Thanks!
Sure, that would work Bob.I would let it sit uncovered in the fridge so it doesn’t get too wet.
Hello, would be you make any adjustments in the recipe using a bison brisket?
I usually roast bison at 325. I’m most curious if more liquid would be needed.
Thank you.
Hi Anne- I have never roasted bison, so not sure here! Does anyone else know?
I love every single one of Sylvia and Tonia’s recipes and plan to make brisket today if there’s a brisket to be had locally. I am intrigued by the bison, though! I’m posting what the Internet suggested. Good luck and please Let us know how it goes!
Sounds so tasty. I want to try this.
Can you please explain what is the purpose of the parchment paper?
Hi Linda, it is to prevent the meat from touching the foil which can leach into the food-aluminum is toxic to the body.